In a technical theater class, there are a number of skills to work through before you can even think about designing sets for plays. Students need to learn how to draw a scaled ground plan, how to cut foam board, how to calculate paint, and how to work within a budget.

The Dream Room Design Project gives theater teachers a framework for teaching those skills with a prompt that will motivate students. Students are given a fictional space and asked to design a bedroom. They are given a budget of $3,200. Over the course of the project they will create a spreadsheet with a budget, make a scaled ground plan and a rendering, and finally produce a 3D model. All of these steps are opportunities for teachers to observe and step-in.

This project is a complete practical assessment for teachers to work backwards from-- you decide how to cover drawing to scale, knife skills, etc. It includes a rubric, and the tasks are divided into three phases for which you can assign separate due dates.